Garment press

ABSTRACT

A garment press having at least a pair of opposing press heads and including a porous article supporting leaf between the cooperating press heads and means for spacing the leaf from the lower press head so that the article to be pressed can be easily dressed thereon and for moving the leaf against the lower press head during pressing of the article, and further having means for separating the press heads only slightly after the pressing cycle and for drawing vacuum in one of the heads for cooling and drying air flow over the article yet on the leaf.

United States Patent 1191 Hanson 1 51 Mar. 27, 1973 1 GARMENT PRESS 3,279,106 10/1966 Tucker ..38/15 x 2,778,132 1/1957 Posey .38/21 [75] Rmhard Salt Lake Q 2,241,997 5/1941 lvey .38/36 x Utah 3,425,141 2/1969 Fuhring et a1. ..38/21 73 Assi ee': McGraw-Edison Com E1 'n, I 1 m pany g1 Primary Examiner-G. v. Larkin Attomey-Charles F. Lind [22] Filed: July 12, 1971 21 App]. No.: 161,657 [57] ABSTRACT A garment press having at least a pair of opposing [52] U S CI 38/21 press heads and including a porous article supporting 1e af between the cooperating press heads and means [51] Int. Cl. ..D06f 71/00 58] Field of Search 38/15 25 for spacing the leaf from the lower press head so that 223/75 the article to be pressed can be easily dressed thereon and for moving the leaf against the lower press head during pressing of the article, and further having [56] References Clted means for separating the press heads only slightly after UNITED STATES PATENTS the pressing cycle and for drawing vacuum in one of the heads for coollng and drying air flow over the arti- 3,305,956 2 1967 Fleischer ..38/16 C16 et on the l f 2,712,702 7/1955 Crociata ..38/16 y 3,484,965 12/1969 Hoisve et a1 ..38/l5 11 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARZ'I I973 INVENTOR. RICHARD M. HANSON GARMENT PRESS Garment presses commonly have opposing press heads supported so that complementary faces thereon can move against one another for pressing therebetween an article of clothing or the like. Means are employed to heat the press heads and frequently for selectively discharging steam from the press faces and/or for drawing vacuum into the press faces and past the article thereon. It is common also in special presses, for pressing pants in a single cycle for example, to have three heads with the adjacent lower and intermediate head faces being complementary for pressing one pants leg and with the adjacent intermediate and upper head faces being complementary for pressing the other pants leg.

In the use of any press, it is necessary to dress the article or garment onto the press head properly to avoid wrinkles and to have the creases at the right locations. Because dressing time is in effect lost press time, it is desirable to have all available means possible for assisting the operator in properly and rapidly dressing the garment.

This invention discloses, and an object of this invention is to provide, a press having a garment supporting leaf located over the lower press head onto which the article or garment can be easily and rapidly dressed. The leaf is normally held separated from the hot press I head when the garment is dressed on the press but moves against the head during the actual pressing cycle.

Another important factor to consider is the seam impressions that can remain in one layer of a multiple layer garment if the garment is improperly pressed. To eliminate or minimize seam impressions, the seam on the one layer should be next to the press head with the softer face while the harder face press engages the other layer and pushes the seam into the softer face. For example, the long seam on the inner side of a pants leg should be next to the softer press face and the unseamed outer side of the leg should be next to the harder press face, so that a three head press should have hard outer head faces and soft intermediate head faces. A hard press face typically imparts a higher sheen than a softer press face which again is frequently more desirable to have on an exposed part of the garment.

This invention discloses, and an object of this invention is to provide, a three head or sandwich type press having lower and upper head press faces that are virtually exposed with a minimum padding and harder than the intermediate head press faces which are-only lightly padded. The garment supporting leaf that overlies the lower press head permits the hot lower press head to be mostly unpadded in the first place while yet allows an operator to safely dress a garment on the leaf with a minimum of heat discomfort.

It is common in the cut of pants to have the legs diverge somewhat from the crotch. This invention discloses, and an object of this invention is to provide, a three head press having a tapered intermediate press head, thinest at the crotch end, which more readily accomodates the natural pants contour and thereby provides consistently higher quality pressing than thus far has been attained.

These and other objects of this invention will be more fully understood and appreciated after reviewing the following specification, the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the subject press showing it with the intermediate and upper press heads open; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the press of FIG. 1, except showing the press in an intermediate operating position.

Referring to FIG. 1, a press 10 is shown having a base or frame 12 with a front control panel 14. A stationary lower press head 16 is supported on a post 18 relative to the frame 12 and is extended laterally a distance sufficient to accomodate the pants leg length. An upper press head 20 is supported on an arm 22 pivoted at bearing 24 relative to the frame 12, and an intermediate press head 26 is supported on an arm 28 again pivoted about pivot bearing 24. The lower press head face 30 is complementary to intermediate press head face 32, and intermediate press head face 34 is complementary to upper head face 36.

Power cylinder 38 supported between frame pin 39 and pin 40 of the upper press head arm 22 operates to move the head 20 between the fully opened position where it is well spaced above the lower press head 16 and a lower operative position against the intermediate head which is then against the lower head. A larger short stroke power cylinder 41 is connected between frame pin 42 and the same arm pivot 40 and when activated urges the heads together with the large pressing force required. Shock absorbers 43 connected at arm pin 40 and frame pin 44 dampen the end of stroke movement of the powered upper head. Another power cylinder 45 is supported at frame mount 46 and engages shoulder 47 of the upper head arm, and is of sufficient capacity to overcome power cylinder 38 when both are actuated operable to lift or hold the upper head 20 elevated off the intermediate head 26 in an intermediate operating position (generally shown in FIG. 2).

The intermediate press head 26 is preferably held counterbalanced by a spring and damper cylinder arrangement 48 connected between pivot pin 49 on the intermediate arm 28 and frame pin 50. A handle 51 is connected to the intermediate press head 26 and is used to shift the head between various operating positions. In this regard, the head counterbalancing mechanism 48 retains the head in any position set although the head itself can be moved with only a moderate degree of force to any other position.

Each head has means for heating the pressing face thereof and further selective heads have means for discharging steam and/or admitting vacuum relative to the pressing faces. In this regard, lower press head 16 preferably has a steam line 52 thereto for heating the head and has a steam-vacuum line 53 for discharging steam from the plurality of perforations in the press face or for drawing vacuum through the perforations for assisting the dressing of garments on the lower press head. The head can be of any typical press head construction, such as shown in the Radford US. Pat. No. 3,490,158 which issued Jan. 20, 1970. In like manner, steam line 54 is to the intermediate press head 26 for heating it and vacuum line 56 is to the intermediate head for drawing air through perforations in the faces thereof. A butterfly valve (not shown) can be located between lines 53 and 56 to shift the vacuum connection to either the lower or intermediate head, since vacuum typically would only be drawn in one head at a time. The upper press head is likewise provided with a steam line 58 suitable for heating the head, and for providing discharge from perforations in the press face. A steam valve 60 on the upper press head can be manually opened for discharging steam from the head as desired.

As thus far described, the press is quite similar to existing three-head sandwich presses including for example the unit disclosed in the Hoisve et al. US. Pat. No. 3,484,965

In the preferred embodiment of this press, the intermediate press head 26 has a resilient padding over the press faces, which padding for example might include a copper wire screen 62, a nylon pad 63 encompassing the copper screen, and a thin nylon or other durable cloth covering 64 over the pad. The intermediate press head thereby has a certain degree of resiliency although the covering is porous and air can be easily drawn into the interior head chamber. The upper press head pressing surface 36 is typically polished metal or teflon coated and is hard, and likewise the lower press head pressing surface is hard and is only covered with a conventional copper wire type screen 65 and a thin cover 66 to eliminate direct crushing of buttons or the like. The intermediate press head surfaces are padded more and thus are softer than the upper and lower press faces.

The intermediate head is tapered and is thinest at the crotch end of the press shown at 68 and uniformly increases to its widest at the cuff end of the press shown at 69. The thin end 68 of the head is contoured to more closely correspond to the rounded contour of the crotch area 'of the pants. The thin edge contour of the intermediate head is of great significance in adding to the press quality assisting the proper dressing of garments on the press and the taper of the intermediate head conforms better to the diverging cut of pants legs. Because of the taper on the intermediate press head, it is desirable to incline the lower press head slightly so that the taper of the intermediate press head can be accommodated while yet having the upper press head generally horizontal. This is accomplished by canting the lower press head slightly on its post mounting, and the intermediate head is also slightly canted relative'to the arm.

Another significant improvement is a garment supporting tray or leaf 70 adapted to fit between the lower press head 16 and intermediate press head 26. The leaf 70 is supported on an arm 72 extending under the lower head and pivoted about bearing 24. Structurally, the leaf includes a tubular frame 74 disposed outwardly beyond the cooperating heads and extended well beyond the heads at the crotch end of the press. A webbing or cover 76 of a porus material, such as nylon, is suspended on the frame 74 between the lower head 16 and intermediate head 26. Power cylinder 78 connected at frame pin 80 and at pin 82 to the arm 72 moves the leaf 70 between elevated position (as shown in FIG. 2) where the webbing 76 is spaced above the lower head pressing face 30 and a lowered position where the webbing is flush on the pressing face 30.

In normal press use, the operator would dress the pants on the press in the following sequence. With the upper head 20 and intermediate head 26 elevated and out of the way, the lower pants leg is dressed onto the garment supporting leaf with the leaf resting lightly on or elevated only slightly above the lower press head face 30. The operator can discharge steam from the head manually to condition the fabric and/or draw vacuum in the lower press head 16 to achieve proper dress of the lower leg. The other pants leg and the waist portion of the pants are supported on the extended end 86 of the leaf 70. The operator then manually lowers the intermediate press head 26 against the lower leg and leaf although with only a moderate clamping force. The upper leg is then dressed on the intermediate head face 34 and vacuum can be drawn in the intermediate head 26 (the same being released from the lower head by shifting the valve connected between the heads and the source of vacuum). It is possibleto steam the upper leg either with a portable steam gun or by lowering the upper head toward the pressing position and discharging steam from the head. After the upper leg is dressed on the intermediate head face, power cylinder 38 is activated and the upper head 20 lowered to move the heads against one another, and power assist cylinder 41 can now be activated. Air pressure to the cylinders can be regulated by means of a conventional pressure regulator which would have an adjusting knob 90 and gauge 91 on the control panel 14. Steam can be discharged from the upper and lower heads as the heads are closing and/or prior to and after the additive clamping force of cylinder 41, and the press heads can be urged together in pressing contact with the force and for the duration desired. Typical means for performing these functions are disclosed in the Hoisve 'et al. patent 3,484,965.

At the conclusion of the pressing cycle, the power cylinder 41 is vented but pressure is maintained on the power cylinder 38, so that the closing force across the heads is reduced although contact is still maintained between the heads. The power cylinders 45 and 78 are then simultaneously energized, although the infeed to power cylinder 45 is more rapid than to power cylinder 78. This lifts the lower pants leg from contact against the lower press face 30 and the upper head 20 is likewise lifted off of the upper pants leg. The actual separation of the pressing faces 30 and 32, and 34 and 36 however, is only nominal. At this time, a limit switch 94 is activated by a cam 95 carried on the upper head arm 22 so that vacuum is drawn in the intermediate press head 26. This post pressing vacuum cycle with the press heads slightly separated from one another draws air past the garment, which rapidly dries the garment if it is still moist and also cools it to a lower temperature for comfortable handling by an operator. The duration of this cool-down cycle can be 15 seconds or less depending upon the thickness of the pants etc.

After this post pressing cool down cycle, the power cylinder 38 is vented or reversed to return the upper head 20 to its upper inoperative position, and cylinder 45 and 78 are vented. The operator can then easily remove the pants from the press by lifting up slightly on the intermediate pressing head 26 and drawing the pants by'the waist portion to slide the pants over the interrnediate press head. The intermediate head can then be opened fully and another pair of pants can be dressed on the press in the manner previously noted for a subsequent pressing cycle.

What is claimed is:

1. In a garment press having cooperating press heads, means supporting the first of the heads for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the second of the heads and an operative position cooperating therewith, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of means for moving the first head from the operative position thereof to an intermediate position thereof slightly spaced from the second head, a garment support leaf of flexible porous material, means supporting the garment support leaf between the heads in a position to hold a garment thereon, and means for moving the garment support leaf between one position against the second head and another position slightly spaced from the second head and adjacent the first head when the latter is in the intermediate position thereof.

2. A garment press combination according to claim 1, further including means for drawing a vacuum in one of the heads, and means responsive to the first head being in the said intermediate position thereof slightly spaced from the garment support leaf for drawing a vacuum in said one head.

3. A garment press combination according to claim 2, wherein said garment support leaf includes a frame that is located outwardly beyond the cooperating heads and a cloth webbing or cover supported on the frame and extended between the heads.

4. A garment press combination according to claim 3, wherein said support leaf frame extends well beyond the cooperation of the heads at one end of the press suitable to support the remaining part of the article not being pressed.

5. In a garment press having lower, intermediate and upper press heads, means supporting the intermediate head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced from the lower head and an operative position cooperating with the lower head, means supporting the upper head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the intermediate head and an operative position cooperating with the intermediate head, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of a garment support leaf of flexible porous material, means supporting the garment support leaf between the lower and intermediate heads in a position to hold a garment thereon, and means for moving the garment support leaf between a lower position against the lower head and an upper position slightly spaced from the lower head.

6. A garment press combination according to claim 5, further including means for drawing vacuum in the intermediate head, means for moving the upper head to an intermediate position only slightly spaced from the intermediate head as located with the garment support leaf being in its upper position, and means operable with the upper head in the intermediate position for drawing vacuum in the intermediate head.

7. A garment press combination according to claim 5, wherein the press faces of the intermediate head are padded and are softer than the press faces of the lower and ulpper heads.

8. garment press combination according to claim 8, wherein the garment support leaf extends well beyond the cooperation of the heads at said one end of the press suitable'to support the remaining part of the article not being pressed.

10. In a garment press having lower, intermediate and upper press heads, means supporting the intermediate head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced from the lower head and an operative position cooperating with the lower head, means supporting the upper head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the intermediate head and an operative position cooperating with the intermediate head, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of providing the intermediate head with a taper that extends uniformly along the length of the head from its thinnest at one end to its thickest at the opposite end, the press head supporting means being arranged to support the lower press head inv a first canted orientation below the horizontal and the upper press head in a generally horizontal orientation and the intermediate press head in a canted orientation between the first mentioned canted orien and the horizontal, and means padding the opposite press faces of the intermediate head to a resiliency that is softer than the respective cooperating faces of the upper and lower heads.

11. In a garment press having lower, intermediate and upper press heads, means supporting the intermediate head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced from the lower head and an operative position cooperating with the lower head, means supporting the upper head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the intermediate head and an operative position cooperating with the intermediate head, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of providing the intermediate head with a taper that extends uniformly along the length of the head from its thinnest at one end to its thickest at the opposite end, means padding the opposite press faces of the intermediate head to a resiliency that is softer than the respective cooperating faces of the upper and lower heads, a garment support leaf, and means supporting the garment support leaf between the lower and intermediate heads in a position where a garment can be dressed thereon and generally out of direct heat receiving contact with the heated press face of the lower head. 

1. In a garment press having cooperating press heads, means supporting the first of the heads for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the second of the heads and an operative position cooperating therewith, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of means for moving the first head from the operative position thereof to an intermediate position thereof slightly spaced from the second head, a garment support leaf of flexible porous material, means supporting the garment support leaf between the heads in a position to hold a garment thereon, and means for moving the garment support leaf between one position against the second head and another position slightly spaced from the second head and adjacent the first head when the latter is in the intermediate position thereof.
 2. A garment press combination according to claim 1, further including means for drawing a vacuum in one of the heads, and means responsive to the first head being in the said intermediate position thereof slightly spaced from the garment support leaf for drawing a vacuum in said one head.
 3. A garment press combination according to claim 2, wherein said garment support leaf includes a frame that is located outwardly beyond the cooperating heads and a cloth webbing or cover supported on the frame and extended between the heads.
 4. A Garment press combination according to claim 3, wherein said support leaf frame extends well beyond the cooperation of the heads at one end of the press suitable to support the remaining part of the article not being pressed.
 5. In a garment press having lower, intermediate and upper press heads, means supporting the intermediate head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced from the lower head and an operative position cooperating with the lower head, means supporting the upper head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the intermediate head and an operative position cooperating with the intermediate head, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of a garment support leaf of flexible porous material, means supporting the garment support leaf between the lower and intermediate heads in a position to hold a garment thereon, and means for moving the garment support leaf between a lower position against the lower head and an upper position slightly spaced from the lower head.
 6. A garment press combination according to claim 5, further including means for drawing vacuum in the intermediate head, means for moving the upper head to an intermediate position only slightly spaced from the intermediate head as located with the garment support leaf being in its upper position, and means operable with the upper head in the intermediate position for drawing vacuum in the intermediate head.
 7. A garment press combination according to claim 5, wherein the press faces of the intermediate head are padded and are softer than the press faces of the lower and upper heads.
 8. A garment press combination according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate head is tapered uniformly from its thinnest cross section at one end of the press to its thickest cross section at the opposite end of the press.
 9. A garment press combination according to claim 8, wherein the garment support leaf extends well beyond the cooperation of the heads at said one end of the press suitable to support the remaining part of the article not being pressed.
 10. In a garment press having lower, intermediate and upper press heads, means supporting the intermediate head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced from the lower head and an operative position cooperating with the lower head, means supporting the upper head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the intermediate head and an operative position cooperating with the intermediate head, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of providing the intermediate head with a taper that extends uniformly along the length of the head from its thinnest at one end to its thickest at the opposite end, the press head supporting means being arranged to support the lower press head in a first canted orientation below the horizontal and the upper press head in a generally horizontal orientation and the intermediate press head in a canted orientation between the first mentioned canted orien and the horizontal, and means padding the opposite press faces of the intermediate head to a resiliency that is softer than the respective cooperating faces of the upper and lower heads.
 11. In a garment press having lower, intermediate and upper press heads, means supporting the intermediate head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced from the lower head and an operative position cooperating with the lower head, means supporting the upper head for movement between an inoperative position well spaced above the intermediate head and an operative position cooperating with the intermediate head, and means for heating the heads, the improvement comprising the combination of providing the intermediate head with a taper that extends uniformly along the length of the head from its thinnest at one end to its thickest at the opposite end, means padding the opposite press faces of the intermediate head to a resilIency that is softer than the respective cooperating faces of the upper and lower heads, a garment support leaf, and means supporting the garment support leaf between the lower and intermediate heads in a position where a garment can be dressed thereon and generally out of direct heat receiving contact with the heated press face of the lower head. 